The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked outrage and economic reprisals from most of the international community and is bound to continue to drive the defence policy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)’s members for the foreseeable future.
Modernisation and innovation in the military are crucial for keeping up with technological advancements. Geopolitical and geo-economic shifts, such as the modernisation of Russia’s armed forces and China’s increasing international assertiveness, have turned defence modernisation into a competitive business. Meanwhile, the battlefield is shifting to cyberspace, so new and innovative solutions will be necessary to handle these contemporary threats. Western armies have no choice but to step up and to keep up with technological developments
New technologies are transforming the security and defence sectors at a faster pace than ever before. Digital technologies, in particular, are affecting established balances of power within the global security landscape. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that Europe’s security and defence sectors remain at the cutting edge of technological development.
Recently, NATO activated the Alliance’s Response Force (NRF) for collective defence and deterrence for the first time. This measure comes as a response to “Russia’s massive military build-up” says NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. As Russia pushes deeper into Ukraine, units of the NRF, led by France, have already arrived in Romania and remain on high alert.
In January, North Korea carried out six missile tests. 2019 was the last time it did so many tests. However, what is worrying is what they have been testing, rather than the number of tests. According to experts and North Korean media, the missiles tested on the 5 and the 11 January would be hypersonic weapons. If these claims are authentic, the balance of power in East Asia will change dramatically
Quartier Reine Elisabeth
Rue d’Evere 1 – box 44
B- 1140 BRUSSELS
Phone: +32 (0)470 66 24 90
Email: info@finabel.org
